by Pirate Irwin
“Well, actually, we, the three of us, had a quite in depth conversation about it. There was little choice, for I said to de Chastelain that unless he was totally open with me then he could find somewhere else to lodge himself,” said Gerland firmly.
“I see, and before we go into the depth of this discussion, for you are the first person I have seen who has heard his side of the story, I would like to know whether Drieu, who said he didn’t really get a coherent account from de Chastelain, mentioned me,” asked Lafarge.
“Just in passing. He said that you had been put in charge of the case concerning the murder of Marguerite Suchet and that meant no rest for de Chastelain, for you were not easily managed,” said Gerland gently.
“So your relative surprise at seeing me this morning was no more than an act, Henri,” said Lafarge.
“Not altogether. I did not realize that you were aware that Pierre–Yves had come to Limoges but once I saw you on the doorstep, I guessed that you being the excellent detective that you are, you had only one reason for visiting me,” said Gerland with an appreciative smile.
Lafarge felt relieved that at least Drieu had not revealed their own discussion, probably more to preserve his own friendship with de Chastelain than to keep a confidence, and felt also that Gerland was willing to divulge some important information, if he didn’t press him too hard.
Gerland, preferring to keep the discussion on the cordial side, made a suggestion.
“Look Gaston, why don’t you dispense with your colleague who is sitting patiently outside, serving no purpose to our discussion, and I will drive you back later.
“In the meantime you can look through de Chastelain’s things upstairs and I will get the cook to put some lunch together. That way we can discuss discreetly the matter and enjoy ourselves at the same time,” said Gerland affably.
“My word, you have a cook, Henri! I must say you have not suffered unduly unlike most of our compatriots. I don’t know whether to be impressed or despise you,” said Lafarge half–jokingly.
“My dear Gaston, as I said, there are plenty of rogues out there who greatly appreciate the sterling defence I put up for them in court.
“Happily, quite a few of them found themselves here and being not without resources or resourcefulness, they look after me, for they never know when they might need to call on my services again,” said Gerland with a hearty laugh.
*
“So Henri, tell me how much de Chastelain told you and Drieu about the night of Marguerite’s murder,” asked Lafarge as they tucked into the first course of duck liver pâté and fresh bread, itself a luxury even in Paris where Lafarge often found himself queueing for hours to get one baguette.
“Before I do, did you find anything of interest amongst his luggage?” shot back Gerland.
Lafarge shook his head, although, he had done so, for he had found a piece of scrolled up paper inside the cloth of the top of de Chastelain’s trunk. Having unrolled it, he had seen a list of names with question marks beside them.
There was Lescarboura’s, von Dirlinger’s, Bousquet’s even, Mathilde and to his surprise his own with two question marks beside it.
Lafarge complimented himself on being deemed worthy of two question marks but wondered why he had one more than the others.
Drieu’s was also on the list as was the aristocrat who had featured in the photograph on the side table of the dinner at Maxim’s, de Chambrun, and Bonny’s name was there as well.
It almost seemed like de Chastelain hadn’t left Paris at all and had instead been shadowing Lafarge throughout the investigation. He knew that wasn’t the case because both Drieu and Gerland attested to him being in Limoges for several days now, but still he had the impression that de Chastelain had been kept informed of the progress being made.
“No surprise there, then,” said Gerland.
“Pierre–Yves was always very secretive about evidence compiled in the defence case, almost paranoid that the prosecution had eyes and ears everywhere.
“It made it a nightmare for me when I was joint counsel, because suddenly from nowhere he pulled a rabbit out of a hat. Infuriating really,” harrumphed Gerland.
“Yes, it wasn’t to my taste or my colleagues either,” said Lafarge.
“Now back to my question, how deeply did you discuss that evening with him, or rather how much did he say about it?” asked Lafarge as he helped himself to the delicious pâté and poured himself the excellent sweet white wine that Gerland had produced from his cellar – another luxury Gerland had taken care to bring with him.
“Truth be told, once he started he couldn’t bring himself to stop. He was grief stricken at her death, even, though as he told us, he realized that she had no intention of resuming their relationship, at least not until things took on a rosier hue politically,” said Gerland sadly.
“She told him that she needed protection and the Abwehr colonel provided that, and was also extremely kind and caring to her and that was sufficient for her,” he added.
“So she was still in love with de Chastelain? That is what you seem to be inferring,” said Lafarge.
Gerland nodded.
“De Chastelain didn’t mention whether she had suggested she was tired of the colonel and wanted to be free of him?” asked Lafarge.
“Absolutely not. She made it clear that this German was her protector and it would remain that way until such time as things changed politically. He, de Chastelain, I recall laughed bitterly after he said this, for he made a remark that sounded odd,” said Gerland.
“What was that Henri?” asked Lafarge, barely containing his curiosity.
“He said ‘The German is only hanging around until she gives him a present of diamonds!’ to which I laughed and remarked ‘but Pierre–Yves surely it is the other way round!’” said Gerland.
“How did he react to your remark?”
“He sneered and said that it wasn’t just good enough for the Germans to come in and take our country, strip us of our pride but also now our women and then use them as common thieves. He said that von Dirlinger, that’s his name isn’t it, was no different despite his title and outward charm and grace.
“De Chastelain was extremely agitated by this, I thought he was going to have an attack,” said Gerland.
“So he was claiming that von Dirlinger was a mastermind behind some theft? That he had manipulated Marguerite into committing some crime?
“Did he say whether he had told her this after she made what to me appear rather odd claims for her, regarding politics that is, as she wasn’t known to be interested by them, and enlightened her on her German lover’s real motivation for keeping her sweet?” asked Lafarge, his heart racing.
“Yes, he said he did, and what’s more he said that it had been his strategy for his defence of the man accused of the crime, Lescarboura, but that had all been prevented by her providential call on him to warn him of his own impending arrest,” said Gerland.
Lafarge was seeing part of the case become clearer now, although it still didn’t rule de Chastelain out of murdering her, given the anger and frustration he must have felt. He was also a little confused over the claim that von Dirlinger had been the mastermind behind the burglary as Lescarboura had told him it had been de Chastelain's idea.
“Did he say how she reacted to this unpleasant piece of information?” asked Lafarge.
“Not very well, she told him to get out, that he was just a bitter loser who had no future and but for their previous intimate relationship she would have called the police. However, she then burst into tears and he was in the process of consoling her when her telephone rang.
“She pulled herself together and answered it and all de Chastelain could ascertain was that whoever was on the other end of the phone was insisting on coming round.
“Suchet tried to dissuade the caller, but to no avail.
“When she put the phone down she appeared nervous and distracted, and told him that he had to leave, but then hesitat
ed and ushered him upstairs to her maid’s room. She told him to hide there just in case he was to cross paths with her visitor. She gave him the key to the room as she said the maid had probably gone out,” said Gerland.
Lafarge was so engrossed in the discussion that he had not even noticed he had left most of his second helping of pâté untouched. It was too late to consume the rest as the cook had now entered the dining room to serve the main course, magret de canard with various vegetables and some potatos.
He helped himself to the food and then a generous glass of a fine Burgundy red, which had been opened and left breathing by his host while he was upstairs, and returned to the subject.
“So was the maid there? And did he say how long he spent hiding?” asked Lafarge.
“No, she wasn’t there and feeling tired and angry, he lay down on her bed and waited for Marguerite to come and get him. However, after about two hours, he got fed up and ventured out and looked over the banister to try and see whether he could just make a run for it.
“He decided he would, seeing that there was no guard outside her apartment, for he didn’t know whether the visitor was a high up official meriting such an escort, and descended the stairs.”
So why did he end up with blood all over his shirt if he said as he told you he made a run for it?” asked Lafarge.
“I’m just getting to that Gaston. But please allow me to enjoy my lunch as well,” said Gerland good humouredly.
Lafarge raised his hands apologetically and watched Gerland as he put a healthy helping of the duck and the vegetables inside his large mouth. Being the bon viveur that he was, Gerland took his time to enjoy it too, washing it down with a good dose of the red.
“Anyway, he was on his way down and noticed her front door was ajar. Naturally being the inquisitive type that he is, he entered quietly and found Marguerite lying on the sofa, with her head staring towards the window.
“He called out her name softly and received no reply. Not really thinking he went towards her and then saw that her hand was touching the rug and saw that she was bleeding and barely breathing. He tried to resuscitate her but it was no use and then kissed her on the lips and left, hurrying away to seek out Drieu. The rest you know,” said Gerland returning to his overflowing plate.
Aside from the rather colourful and sentimental ending to the tale, which Lafarge reckoned was a nice piece of embellishment from his host, it certainly appeared a credible sequence of events.
However, it was not what either Bousquet or von Dirlinger would want to hear. For this account implicated one of them certainly for the jewel heist and perhaps the other for her murder. Bousquet lived close by and it must have been his imminent arrival that forced Marguerite to tell de Chastelain to go and hide in Mathilde’s room.
“One thing more before we move onto dessert and lighter matters, did de Chastelain mention who he thought might have been the caller?”
“No, why?”
“Only that I know for a fact there were three men in the apartment that night, von Dirlinger, de Chastelain and god help me René Bousquet,” said Lafarge puffing out his cheeks.
“I think it was in that order, which leaves me with the extremely unappetizing possibility that my boss, Berlin’s darling, is the murderer and the other fellow is the mastermind behind a jewel theft that may or may not have provoked this whole sequence of events.”
“That’s not all Gaston, for I would surmise you were sent by them to catch Pierre–Yves, no?” asked Gerland, his tone gentle and his eyes sad.
Lafarge nodded glumly.
“Never two without three! And Pierre–Yves is their scapegoat and you my friend are collateral damage or will be if you don’t deliver him to them,” said Gerland grimly.
Lafarge nodded again and thought to himself that although he had not wanted to believe it, it had been pretty clear that von Dirlinger and Bousquet’s almost zealous enthusiasm for him to go after de Chastelain had not been in the common goal of catching a man guilty of murdering a mistress and a friend respectively.
No, it had been to absolve themselves of their own crimes that even they could be punished for, though by all accounts far worse ones were being perpetrated all over Nazi Occupied Europe.
However, Lafarge had never knowingly sent an innocent man or woman to death and even in these immoral and rancid times, he wasn’t going to start afresh regardless of what it cost him. He was going to find a way of setting de Chastelain free…after he caught him.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“You still want to take him back to Paris, Gaston? I’m amazed. Why not just let him be? You can easily bluff your way through it and tell them you were on his trail but he found out and scarpered,” said Gerland sternly.
Lafarge shook his head.
“I have to return with him to Paris as much for my own good as anything else. If I can at least show that I captured him and had him on his way back to face justice, then it should be sufficient to save both him and me,” said Lafarge.
Gerland, who along with Lafarge was now digesting some cheese with a glass of extremely good Bordeaux claret, looked at him quizzically.
“How on earth can that be beneficial to both of you? I mean you are not steering him and yourself away from trouble you are heading straight into the storm. If you could explain your strategy it would be most welcome,” said Gerland sounding totally confused.
Lafarge chewed on his bread and cheese and took a sip of wine before enlightening his host. It was, he admitted to himself, a plan rather made up on the hoof but he could see it working out.
“I have a contact in Paris who has, so he says, a route to get people who have an urgent need to leave France, to safety.
“They are mainly Jews, criminals who have made the wrong sort of enemy, and others who simply can’t countenance staying in any part of France whether it be under Nazi or Vichy’s control,” said Lafarge, prompting one of Gerland’s otter–like eyebrows to shoot upwards in surprise.
“Yes, you may wonder why I would have such a contact and why he isn’t in prison, or been deported. But not being ideologically convinced by our occupiers’ views, I would rather see as many people who have committed no crime other than to have had the misfortune to be born of the wrong faith escape their clutches,” said Lafarge by way of explanation.
“What about the criminals, though, Gaston? I didn’t think you were the lenient type when it came to them,” said Gerland with a reproachful tone.
“Besides, you are taking away my bread and butter! That won’t do,” added Gerland smiling.
Lafarge grinned at the gentle jibe.
“Yes Henri, I can see that you are suffering from the loss of several of your potential clients!” jested Lafarge, sweeping his hands over the table that had borne the weight of their excellent lunch.
“However, I am not going to endanger my contact’s life and those of the Jews as well as other innocent people just because he is saving some criminals from the authorities,” added Lafarge.
Gerland nodded in understanding and stroked his chin while Lafarge rose from the table to stretch his legs.
“Alright Gaston, so this is how you are going to try and get Pierre–Yves out of the country.
“Very well, but how on earth are you going to be able to organise all this from here, and also as you have no idea if or when you will have Pierre–Yves in custody, you can’t simply set up the transfer into your contact’s hands with a definitive date,” said Gerland.
“Besides, I take it once you have de Chastelain in your keep, you will have to inform Bousquet at the very least that you have him and are bringing him back.
“That leads me to the next problem. Your ambitious boss will want to ensure there is no chance of him evading capture a second time and will either instruct you to have him heavily guarded on the train or send a strong force to the Gare d’Austerlitz to wait for you.”
Lafarge was standing with his back to Gerland, staring out the window onto a large well–te
nded garden which was just starting to spring into full blossom, with red roses especially prominent, and a rhododendron bush at the bottom of it.
“That’s where you come into the plan, Henri,” said Lafarge crisply.
“Me? I don’t really see how I can help you defy Bousquet,” said Gerland.
“Well, in fact you can on two counts. Firstly, you can deliver de Chastelain into my hands, and then you can activate some of your old friends who are still in Paris to arrange for them to meet us at the station, and ‘ambush me’, taking the prisoner off my hands, temporarily of course,” said Lafarge.
Lafarge could hear Gerland sucking in air and then expelling it as he listened to the plan. Lafarge knew he was placing an awful lot of trust in this man, who he had known and liked before the War but now under such different circumstances, it was asking a lot of him.
He was just hoping that Gerland’s friendship and association with de Chastelain would prompt him to fall on the side of the good people in the story.
“I would need them to hide him in a safe house if they have one, allowing me to first of all square the story with Bousquet and then to arrange for de Chastelain to be spirited away.
“I know I am asking a huge amount from you Henri, but I think you would accept it is under exceptional circumstances and if it is just to save one innocent man from the guilty ones, then I believe it is worth your while,” said Lafarge.
Gerland too had risen from his chair and came over to stand by Lafarge’s side, surveying with some pride the state of the garden, although the detective somehow doubted that it had been his host’s hands that had created such a beautiful and fertile environment.
“It’s lovely to see things come to fruition, or rather blossom after a long hard winter Gaston, and I wouldn’t mind seeing several more of these occasions,” said Gerland tapping at the window pane.
“I am running a great risk, if I help you with this ingenious but devilishly risky plan, that I will end up propping up these plants should it fail, which to my mind is very probable.